The use of orthopedic bandages comprising plaster of Paris supported on a flexible material to immobilize the limb of a patient is well known in the art. Plaster of Paris has a known water sensitivity; therefore, patients wearing plaster of Paris casts must take care to avoid the rain and cannot shower. Because of this inconvenience, various improvements in the water resistance of plaster of Paris casts have been made. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,842,120 and 2,842,138 wherein melamine formaldehyde resin precursors have been added to plaster of Paris bandages to improve their water resistance.
Melamine formaldehyde resins have been known to cause allergic responses from the wearers of casts made from bandages of this type. Additionally, it is usually necessary to add the melamine formaldehyde precursors to the bandage in a separate step and, preferably, in an encapsulated form to preclude premature reaction. Various vinyl polymers such as polyvinyl pyrrolidone and polyvinyl acetate have also been added to improve the strength and water resistance of plaster of Paris casts (including the melamine formaldehyde resin-plaster of Paris casts noted above). See U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,671,280 and 3,649,319, respectively. Plaster of Paris casts of this type do show some improved water resistance and strength; however, further improvements in these properties would be desirable. Combinations of polyvinyl acetate and silicones have also been suggested. See U.K. Pat. No. 859,018. The addition of a reactive silicone polymer to improve the water repellency of plaster of Paris casts is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,687.
The addition of a water-repellent or waterproofing agent to a cast bandage presents problems in both the manufacture of the bandage and the application of the bandage to a patient to form the cast. Plaster of Paris is the alphahemihydrate of CaSO.sub.4. In the manufacture of the bandage, the plaster of Paris is mixed with a suitable binder such as casein, dextrin or polyvinyl acetate and applied to a gauze or other fabric substrate. The binder adheres the plaster particles on the substrate to prevent dry flake-off and wet slide-off of plaster. Prior to application of the bandage to a patient, a roll of the bandage is dipped into water to activate the plaster. The bandage is allowed to take up water which converts the calcium sulfate hemihydrate to the desired calcium sulfate dihydrate. The conversion to calcium sulfate dihydrate results in hardening of the cast.
The addition of a hydrophobic water-resistant agent to the cast bandage in the bandage manufacturing process interferes with the adhesion of the plaster of Paris particles to the fabric substrate. This can result in increased dry flake or dusting of the particles. The bandage could then have an insufficient plaster content to give the required rigidity to the finished cast.
The addition of a water-repellent material to a plaster of Paris bandage would also normally interfere with the setting of the plaster of Paris. When the plaster is moistened, it absorbs water and sets to a solid rigid mass, calcium sulfate dihydrate. A water-repellent material could be expected to coat individual crystals or particles of the calcium sulfate hemihydrate and prevent water from contacting the crystals, thereby preventing the reaction which results in the formation of the solid calcium sulfate dihydrate. Thus, the process disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,198,776 for manufacturing water-resistant wallboard would not be suitable for manufacturing cast bandages.